Vests are used in various settings to carry equipment. Vests intended for use by emergency, military, or law enforcement personnel may also be designed to carry body armor. Typically, a vest includes several separable panels or sections that are connected prior to donning the vest, or as the vest is put on.
For example, a vest may include a front panel and a back panel. Each panel may include webbing or other structure for the attachment of pouches or other equipment holders. The panel may include one or more internal compartments into which plates or panels of body armor may be inserted or held.
The various panels and components of the vest may be attached to one another by a set of straps and buckles, or by a similar arrangement. For example, straps may include shoulder straps and additional straps that fit around the torso.
The combined weight of the vest, carried equipment, and body armor may be considerable.